Trend forecasting and color design expert Doty Horn returns to flooring as Congoleum’s vice president of design after a 16 year hiatus from the industry. Her goal: use design to return Congoleum to the forefront and make it a household name.

“I never thought I’d return to flooring because I’ve never gone back to any other industry that I’ve left before,” she said. “But this opportunity allows me to really make a difference and start from scratch. I’m going to overhaul a brand that has name recognition and put it back on the map again. Everyone in the industry knows Congoleum but ask a 20 year old (she said they don’t know the brand) — this brand has been around 120 years. We’re going to celebrate that but also build on it and make it relevant to today’s customer.”

Horn began her design career in 1975 designing swimwear in Los Angeles and then baby rooms for celebrities including Liz Taylor and O.J. Simpson. Between 1982 and 1989, she taught part time at the Los Angeles-based Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) before moving to the East Coast and heading up Armstrong’s design team until 1996. She also developed Color Pulse. From there, she spent three years engulfed in the commercial market at Formica’s countertop division and then moved on to wall coverings at J. Josephson and later became director of color and design at Benjamin Moore. She also sat on the London Forecasting Board.

“Trend forecasting is my specialty,” said Horn. “It’s something I’ve done for every company I’ve worked with. No matter where I’ve been, the common denominator has been color and design.”
Horn, who was hired by Congoleum July 1, will unveil her influence with the Surfaces 2013 launch of an updated DuraCeramic line, including a new 12 x 24 format.
“I’m always looking beyond the current trend,” she said. “What I do is go out and weigh all the different input and marry the familiar with the new. You’ll see the trends, gray for example, but you’ll see them with a twist.”

Horn also said she’s learned to take separate design approaches to the residential and commercial markets. Congoleum will also unveil its commercial LVT portfolio at Surfaces 2013.
“The residential consumer wants you to essentially make the design choice for them,” she said. “For commercial, you want to give the project designer choices so they can put their signature on it. In more temporary commercial spaces, spaces that will be updated, you can present more fashion-oriented, trendy design. For more permanent installations, they want less trendy floors. But you’ll still see our style and fashion, that’s for sure.”

When it comes to designing floors, said Horn, one must be more precise due to its permanent nature versus paint or wall coverings.
“The story with floors doesn’t change from season to season,” she said. “You want to tell a story that will last over time. Pillows and lamps are where you see fashion fads. But something like flooring is hooked into the structure of a house for a longer period of time. You tweak the color in a different direction. You have to be subtle but noticeable. I always tell the consumer, if you can live with it for a long period of time then it’s good for you.”